The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Jett Woo on NHL waivers Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Woo being placed on waivers means he is ready to begin his 2025-26 season. The right-shot defenseman has been sidelined for all of this campaign after undergoing surgery during the off-season to address an upper-body injury.
Teams looking for more defensive depth could consider taking a chance on Woo, who’s on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in the NHL and $290,000 in the minors. But if the 25-year-old passes through waivers unclaimed, the Canucks can assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.
Woo was selected by the Pacific Division club in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft with the 37th overall pick. Despite being part of the organization for eight seasons now, he has yet to make his NHL debut.
While Woo has yet to play for Vancouver, he has a lot of experience at the AHL level. In 267 career games over five seasons, he has 21 goals, 62 assists, 83 points, 332 penalty minutes and a plus-32 rating.
Last season as an alternate captain in Abbotsford, Woo posted two goals, 16 assists, 18 points, 90 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating. He also recorded one goal and six points in 22 playoff games for Abbotsford during their Calder Cup championship run this past spring.
A player cannot be placed on NHL waivers or bought out while they are injured. They could be traded, but in this instance, Abbotsford may want the help. They sit last in the Pacific Division with a 5-15-4 record in 24 games, allowing a league-high 93 goals against.
As for the NHL squad, the Canucks have Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers and Tom Willander, who scored his first NHL goal on Saturday, on the right side of the blueline.
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